Opposition claims foreigners being registered as voters to rig 2027 elections

The leaders, including Kalonzo Musyoka, Rigathi Gachagua, Justin Muturi and Mithika Linturi, claim the plan involves registering foreigners as voters and allegedly deploying foreign militias to influence the election outcome.

They alleged that foreign nationals from Somalia, Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania are being unlawfully added to Kenya’s voter register, while Burundian youth are being distributed across the country as alleged agents of political violence.

"The consequences for ordinary Kenyans are both immediate and lasting: heightened scrutiny at international borders, severe complications in obtaining visas for education and employment, lasting reputational damage to the Kenyan passport, and the erosion of bilateral trust with Western and regional partners. This is not a partisan matter. It is a matter of national security," Kalonzo stated. 

The opposition further claimed the government has compromised the integrity of the Kenyan passport by allegedly issuing travel documents to individuals linked to criminal networks and sanctioned groups, including members allegedly linked to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

They also accused the government of facilitating recruitment of Kenyan youth into foreign combat roles, claiming more than 30 Kenyans have returned home after allegedly being forced into military service in Russia’s war in Ukraine after being promised jobs abroad.

"These are sons and daughters of Kenya who have been deceived, exploited, and abandoned. This regime’s response has been to deflect, deny, and scapegoat junior officials. We ask Mr Ruto: How many more Kenyans must die on foreign soil before your regime accepts responsibility?" Kalonzo posed. 

The leaders also criticised the government over reports that Kenyans stranded in Middle Eastern countries were asked to finance their own return travel, saying repatriation of citizens is a constitutional duty of the state.

They further accused the government of allowing Kenya to become a hub for regional criminal networks.

The United Opposition issued seven demands, including an immediate independent parliamentary inquiry into all irregular issuance of passports and identity documents, criminal investigations into networks recruiting Kenyan citizens into foreign combat roles, and a full public account of Kenyans involved in foreign conflicts.

The coalition also called for the immediate, fully government-funded return of all Kenyan citizens stranded in the Middle East and other regions, saying no Kenyan should be required to pay for their own ticket home.

Further, the opposition demanded a formal diplomatic clarification confirming Kenya’s neutrality and non-alignment with any foreign military campaign that goes against international law, along with a full review of Kenya’s anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing and immigration control systems.

Lastly, they called for the government to fully adhere to the Constitution and facilitating compensation in cases where people were wrongly taken or handed over to other countries.